Response system with emergency response equipment locator

ABSTRACT

This document relates to systems and techniques for providing response to emergency situations, such as traffic accidents, cardiac arrest, or other medical emergencies. The systems and techniques include systems and techniques for identifying and accessing emergency response equipment during a medical emergency.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/538,511 filed Jun. 29, 2012. All subject matterset forth in the above referenced application is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety into the present application as if fully setforth herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This document relates to computer-based systems and techniques forproviding response to emergency situations, such as traffic accidents,cardiac arrest, or other medical emergencies.

BACKGROUND

Sudden health problems such as sudden cardiac arrest and injuries causedby accidents kill thousands of people and cause permanent injury everyyear. Fast and competent care can be essential to positive outcomes insuch situations. For example, it is said that the chance of surviving asudden cardiac arrest falls by ten percent for every minute in delayingeffective treatment.

Emergency events like sudden cardiac arrests and accidents are generallyresponded to by organized emergency response units, such as ambulance orfire crews, and by laypeople who are immediately around the events sothat they personally witness or offer assistance for the events.

SUMMARY

This document describes systems and techniques that may be used to alertresponders about an emergency situation and assist the responders inobtaining emergency response equipment such as AEDs. In the systems andtechniques described here, an emergency call may come into a dispatchservice and the dispatch service (e.g., through an employed humandispatcher) mayenter the address for the call and may have a map of thearea around the call brought up on a video monitor. The map may bepopulated with icons that represent the locations of registeredresponders (including lay responders) in the geographic area around thecall. The dispatcher may then choose to notify one or more of theresponders. Upon receiving a notification, each candidate lay respondermay reply with an indication of whether they are willing and able tohelp with the call. If they indicate that they are willing to help, thesystem may automatically send to their mobile computing device a mapthat shows their current location, the location for the call (where thecall is near the victim's location), a highlighted navigation routebetween their location and the location of the call, and possibly iconsthat indicate the locations of publicly-accessible emergency responseequipment (first aid kits and automatic external defibrillators (AEDs))that might be helpful in responding to the call. The information aboutthe publicly-accessible emergency response equipment can include anindication of the status of the equipment. By including the status ofthe emergency response equipment, the rescuer will not waste timelocating and accessing equipment that is not fully functional (e.g.,equipment with a low battery).

In one or more of the systems and techniques described here, emergencyresponse equipment (e.g., publicly-accessible equipment ornon-publicly-accessible equipment) may be provided to the scene of anemergency by someone associated with the equipment (e.g., an owner oradministrator). For example, upon receiving an emergency call, thedispatcher can enter the address for the call and may have a map of thearea around the call brought up on a video monitor. The map may bepopulated with icons that represent the locations of registeredemergency response equipment (e.g., registered AEDs), whose locationshave been previously stored in a database. The database also includesinformation (e.g., contact information) with associated owners oradministrators for the equipment. The owner or administrator is anyperson associated with the equipment that has agreed to be notified ofan emergency in the area and potentially provide the emergency responseequipment to the scene of the emergency upon request. The owner oradministrator is not required to be trained in providing emergencymedical assistance, but rather has agreed simply to bring the emergencyresponse equipment to the scene of the emergency. Thus, no specialtraining is needed for the owner or administrator of the equipment.Based on equipment in the vicinity of the emergency, the dispatcher maythen choose to notify one or more of the owners or administratorsassociated with a particular one or with particular ones of the piecesof registered emergency response equipment and request that the owner oradministrator bring the equipment to the scene of the emergency. Uponreceiving a notification, each owners or administrators may reply withan indication of whether they are willing and able to provide themedical equipment. If they indicate that they are willing to help, thesystem may automatically send to their mobile computing device, a mapthat shows the location of the emergency.

Such systems and techniques can, in certain implementations, provide oneor more advantages. For example, by identifying equipment owners oradministrators in addition to responders in the vicinity of a victim orvictims, the systems and techniques can reduce response time for anemergency, which can be critically important for cardiac arrest victims.For example, the equipment owners or administrators can providenecessary emergency response equipment (such as a defibrillator) whilethe responders can provide initial treatment to the victim, for exampleby administering CPR. In some examples, the responder can initiatetreatment to the victim sooner because they do not need to spend timelocating and obtaining the medical equipment. In some additionalexamples, responders may be shown the location of knownpublicly-accessible equipment and status of such equipment, so that theycan determine which equipment is fully functional and get it on the wayto tending to the victim. This can reduce the time required to obtainfunctional emergency response equipment.

In some aspects, a method includes receiving a request for emergencyservices and receiving information that identifies a location associatedwith the request, identifying, from among a plurality of individualsregistered as potential responders, one or more registered individualswho are currently nearest to the identified location, identifying one ormore pieces of emergency response equipment nearest to the identifiedlocation, identifying registered individuals associated with theidentified emergency response equipment, and transmitting, to the one ormore individuals registered as potential responders and to theregistered individuals associated with the emergency response equipment,information that identifies the location.

Embodiments can include one or more of the following.

The method can also include transmitting to the one or more individualsregistered as potential responders an invitation to respond to therequest for emergency services, determining whether a first of the oneor more individuals registered as potential responders has respondedaffirmatively to the invitation, and transmitting information thatidentifies the location to the first registered individual.

The method can also include transmitting to the one or more registeredindividuals associated with the identified emergency response equipmentan invitation to respond to the request for emergency services byproviding the emergency response equipment, determining whether a firstof the one or more individuals associated with the identified emergencyresponse equipment has responded affirmatively to the invitation, andtransmitting information that identifies the location to the firstindividual associated with the identified emergency response equipment.

The method can also include registering a plurality of individuals aspotential responders and registering a plurality of individualsassociated with emergency response equipment.

The method can also include registering the plurality of potentialresponders and the plurality of individuals associated with emergencyresponse equipment comprises posting a sign-up software application thatis internet accessible, and registering volunteers from the public, forexample, using the sign-up application.

In some additional aspects, a method for communicating information tomedical responders can include receiving a request for emergencyservices and receiving information that identifies a location associatedwith the request, identifying, from among a plurality of individualsregistered as potential responders, one or more registered individualswho are nearest to the identified location, and identifying one or morepieces of registered emergency response equipment nearest to theidentified location, accessing status information associated with theemergency response equipment nearest to the identified location,filtering, based at least in part on the status information, theidentified registered emergency response equipment to determine a subsetof functional emergency response equipment; and transmitting, to the oneor more registered individuals, information that identifies the locationand identifies locations for the determined subset of functionalemergency response equipment.

Embodiments can include one or more of the following.

The method can also include transmitting to the one or more individualsregistered as potential responders an invitation to respond to therequest for emergency services, determining whether a first of the oneor more individuals registered as potential responders has respondedaffirmatively to the invitation, and transmitting information thatidentifies the location associated with the request to the firstregistered individual.

The method can also include registering a plurality of individuals aspotential responders by posting a sign-up software application that isinternet accessible, and registering volunteers from the public usingthe sign-up application.

The information that identifies locations for the determined subset offunctional emergency response equipment can include a map having iconsidentifying the emergency response equipment.

The icons can be configured to provide status information for theemergency response equipment nearest to the location associated with therequest for emergency services.

The icons can be color-coded to provide status information.

In some aspects, a method can include receiving a request for emergencyservices and receiving information that identifies a location associatedwith the request, identifying, from among a plurality of individualsregistered as potential responders, one or more registered individualswho are currently nearest to the identified location, identifying one ormore pieces of registered emergency response equipment nearest to theidentified location, accessing status information associated with theidentified one or more pieces of emergency response equipment, andtransmitting, to the one or more registered individuals, informationthat identifies the location and identifies locations and statusinformation for the identified one or more pieces of emergency responseequipment.

Embodiments can include one or more of the following.

The method can include transmitting to the one or more individualsregistered as potential responders an invitation to respond to therequest, determining whether a first of the one or more individualsregistered as potential responders has responded affirmatively to theinvitation, and transmitting information that identifies the location tothe first registered individual.

The method can also include registering a plurality of individuals aspotential responders by posting a sign-up software application that isinternet accessible, and registering volunteers, from the public, forexample using the sign-up application.

The information that identifies locations for the determined subset offunctional emergency response equipment can include a map having iconsidentifying the emergency response equipment, the icons being configuredto provide the status information for the emergency response equipment.

Transmitting the information that identifies locations and statusinformation for the emergency response equipment can includetransmitting information to provide color-coded icons with the color ofeach icon being based on the status of the associated emergency responseequipment.

In some aspects a computer program product includes instructions tocause a processor to receive a request for emergency services andreceive information that identifies a location associated with therequest, identify, from among a plurality of individuals registered aspotential responders, one or more registered individuals who arecurrently nearest to the identified location, identify one or morepieces of emergency response equipment nearest to the identifiedlocation, identify registered individuals associated with the identifiedemergency response equipment, and transmit, to the one or moreindividuals registered as potential responders and to the registeredindividuals associated with the emergency response equipment,information that identifies the location.

Embodiments can include one or more of the following.

The computer program product can include instructions to cause theprocessor to transmit to the one or more individuals registered aspotential responders an invitation to respond to the request foremergency services, determine whether a first of the one or moreindividuals registered as potential responders has respondedaffirmatively to the invitation, and transmit information thatidentifies the location to the first registered individual.

The computer program product can include instructions to cause theprocessor to transmit to the one or more registered individualsassociated with the identified emergency response equipment aninvitation to respond to the request for emergency services by providingthe emergency response equipment, determine whether a first of the oneor more individuals associated with the identified emergency responseequipment has responded affirmatively to the invitation, and transmitinformation that identifies the location to the first individualassociated with the identified emergency response equipment.

The computer program product can include instructions to cause theprocessor to register a plurality of individuals as potential respondersand register a plurality of individuals associated with emergencyresponse equipment.

The computer program product can include instructions to cause theprocessor to access status information associated with the identifiedone or more pieces of emergency response equipment; and transmit, to theone or more registered individuals, information that identifies thelocation associated with the request for emergency services andidentifies locations and status information for the identified one ormore pieces of emergency response equipment.

In some aspects, a system can include an equipment database thatincludes location information for emergency response equipment; aresponder database that includes information about a plurality ofindividuals registered as potential responders; and a computer. Thecomputer can be configured to receive a request for emergency servicesand receive information that identifies a location associated with therequest, access the database that includes information about a pluralityof individuals registered as potential responders to identify, fromamong the plurality of individuals registered as potential responders,one or more registered individuals who are currently nearest to theidentified location, access the equipment database to identify one ormore pieces of emergency response equipment nearest to the identifiedlocation and identify registered individuals associated with theidentified emergency response equipment, and transmit, to the one ormore individuals registered as potential responders and to theregistered individuals associated with the emergency response equipment,information that identifies the location.

Embodiments can include one or more of the following.

The computer can be further configured to transmit to the one or moreindividuals registered as potential responders an invitation to respondto the request for emergency services, determine whether a first of theone or more individuals registered as potential responders has respondedaffirmatively to the invitation, and transmit information thatidentifies the location to the first registered individual.

The computer can be further configured to transmit to the one or moreregistered individuals associated with the identified emergency responseequipment an invitation to respond to the request for emergency servicesby providing the emergency response equipment, determine whether a firstof the one or more individuals associated with the identified emergencyresponse equipment has responded affirmatively to the invitation, andtransmit information that identifies the location to the firstindividual associated with the identified emergency response equipment.

The computer can be further configured to access status informationassociated with the identified one or more pieces of emergency responseequipment; and transmit, to the one or more registered individuals,information that identifies the location associated with the request foremergency services and identifies locations and status information forthe identified one or more pieces of emergency response equipment.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanyingdrawings and the description below. Other features and advantages willbe apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a conceptual diagram showing computer-guided emergencyresponse by responders according to an example embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 1B is a conceptual diagram showing computer-guided emergencyresponse by responders including status information emergency responseequipment according to an example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system for coordinating lay response toemergency events according to an example embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 3Aand 3B are flow charts of processes for organizing a response toan emergency call according to an example embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show exemplary screen shots for a dispatcher according toan example embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a generic computer device and a genericmobile computer device, which may be used with the techniques describedherein.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing computer-guided emergencyresponse by responders according to an example embodiment of theinvention. In general, the figure shows a conceptualized version of amap for an area around a park in a metropolitan geographic area. Anemergency event has recently occurred in the park, and variousresponders in the area of the event are shown converging on the locationof the event. The map is overlaid with icons that represent variousobjects in the area, including a victim 102, various responder's 104A-C,and pieces of emergency response equipment 106A-C and 108. The figurealso shows a representation of a screen for a smart phone 110 toindicate an example graphical user interface (GUI) that may be shown toa lay responder 104A who has chosen to volunteer to respond to a call inthe area. The discussion with respect to this figure is intended toindicate in general ways how responders may be organized and notified,and how they may communicate with each other, in order to improveresponse to an emergency condition, such as a call about a personsuffering from sudden cardiac arrest, or a mass emergency havingmultiple victims for which responder coordination is important. Examplesof coordinating responders are described, for example, in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/946,803, filed on Nov. 15, 2010 and entitled“Community-Based Response System”, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety. While FIG. 1 illustrates theuse of a smart phone 110 for communicating with responders, other mobilecommunication or computing devices could be used such as a laptop,phone, tablet, etc.

In the figure, the victim 102, has suffered a sudden cardiac arrestwhile running on a trail near a pond in the park. Upon feeling chestpains, the victim 102 may have called 911 in order to report anemergency, or may have activated an application installed on his or hersmart phone, where the application is programmed to initiate a call toemergency services and to provide data that indicates the victim's 102geographic location (e.g., as determined by the smartphone GPS or byusing cell tower triangulation or similar services). Alternatively, thecall to the central service may be made by telephone, either by thevictim 102, or by a citizen who has come upon the victim 102 and hasrecognized that the victim 102 is in trouble. The dispatcher may thenchoose, at the dispatcher's discretion, to alert professional respondersand registered responders who are registered with the system and who maybe in the area around the park. As discussed in more detail below, thedispatcher, upon pulling up the map around the area of the victim 102,may choose to see an overlay, or layer, on the map of all possibleregistered responders in the area. From such an interface, thedispatcher can press on icons that represent certain potentialresponders to choose them as candidate responders, and may then makeother selections to have notifications sent to each of those candidateresponders regarding the emergency. A notification can then be sent tothe candidate responders. For example, a message may be sent to eachsmart phone of the candidate responders.

Additionally, as discussed in more detail below, the dispatcher, uponpulling up the map around the victim 102 may choose to overlay or layeron the map all available emergency response equipment such as automaticexternal defibrillation devices (AEDs) in the area. The informationabout the available emergency response equipment can include the statusof the emergency response equipment. For example, the map can beoverlaid with color-coded icons associated with each piece of medicalequipment where the color coding is indicative of the status. From suchan interface, the dispatcher can press on the icons that representcertain potential emergency response equipment and then make a selectionto have notifications sent to owners or administrators of the emergencyresponse equipment to bring the emergency response equipment to thescene of the emergency and/or to provide information about the locationand accessibility of the emergency response equipment to the respondersresponding to the emergency (e.g., by including the information in thenotification sent to the responders).

In more particularly, the map in FIG. 1 shows iconic representation ofequipment that is in the geographic area of the victim 102, and that maybe accessible to responders who agree to help with the emergencysituation. For example, icons having thunderbolts on them represent AEDsthat a responder may grab and take to the victim 102 when the victim hassuffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Icons having a “+” on them mayrepresent first aid kits that responders could use to bandage orotherwise treat victims of an accident. As described more fully below,the existence and locations of the various pieces of equipment mayinitially be enrolled by owners of the equipment who want to make itavailable in emergency situations, and registered volunteers mayperiodically survey various areas to locate the equipment and to verifythat it is still there, is operational, and is publicly accessible.Also, the equipment may include wireless functionality by which itreports itself in to a network, such as via a 3G interface, WiFiinterface, Whispernet®-type interface and the like. An owner of such adevice may then “open” the device to inspection by a lifesaving system,which may then periodically seek and receive reports on the currentstatus of the device. In certain instances, such a system (which couldbe operated by a non-profit organization) may trade free monitoring ofdevice status in exchange for the device owner agreeing to open thedevice for public use when it is needed.

The equipment may also be associated with a schedule during which it isavailable, so that the system may filter the display of equipment, so asnot to show equipment that is not currently available. As one example, acoffee shop near the park may keep an AED near its counter where itcannot be stolen, but may be willing, as a gesture of good will, to haveresponders run into the shop and borrow the AED if it is needed in thearea. Such an AED may be shown to responders on their devices if anemergency arises during the shop's hours of operation, but not shownafter hours.

In some embodiments, for example as shown in FIG. 1B, the iconicrepresentations of the equipment can include information about thestatus of the equipment. For example, the iconic representation can becolor-coded to indicate whether the equipment is fully functional. Inone particular example, a green color coding of the icon could berepresentative of equipment that has recently been tested and is fullyfunctional, a red color coding can be representative of equipment thatis not fully functional, and a yellow color coding could berepresentative of equipment that has not recently been tested but waspreviously functional at the time of the last test. In the particularexample shown in FIG. 1B, AED 106C is color-coded to indicate that theAED is not functional. Thus, while AED 106C is the nearest AED to victim102, upon seeing the status information a rescuer would know that thisAED is not functional and locate the next nearest AED device (e.g.,device 106B) rather than trying to use the nonfunctional AED 106C.

Referring now more specifically to the smart phone 110 of responder104A, the screen of the smart phone 110 shows an example of what theresponder 104A may see after she has been notified about the victim's102 problem and has affirmatively responded that she would like to takepart in the response thus converting herself from a candidate responderto a confirmed responder.

Upon the user 104A making such an indication, the dispatcher and/or arelated automated system may download to the smart phone 110 informationto allow the responder 104A to locate the victim 102, to show anyrelevant equipment in the area on the way to the victim 102, and tocommunicate to other responders who may be en route to helping thevictim 102. Such information may be provided to the responder in avariety of manners, and in this example has been provided in the form ofa webpage document that includes custom text about the victim 102,selectable controls by which the responder 104A may interoperate withthe system, and a map with a navigational route to guide the responder104A to the victim. The map includes information about emergencyresponse equipment and the status of such equipment.

Referring now to the particular information displayed on the smart phone110, and starting from the top of the display on the smart phone 110,there is shown a textual report 116 regarding the problem with thevictim. Below the report 116, are two selectable controls 112 and 114.Selectable control 112, when selected by the responder 104A, will createa voice connection between the responder 104A and the victim 102.Selectable control 114, when selected, connects the responder 104A towhatever professional responders have been dispatched by the dispatchcenter and/or to the dispatcher. The bottom of the display for smartphone 110 is taken up by a map 118 which may be generated from acombination of data sources using known techniques such as those forcreating mash-ups with Google Maps®. For example, the dispatch centermay provide a latitude and longitude for responder 104A and a latitudeand longitude for victim 102, to a navigation system that is publiclyavailable (via a published application programming interface (API)), anda navigation system may respond by providing data for drawing the mapoverlaid with a thick navigation route line for an optimal path betweenthe two points for the responder 104A. In addition, actual icons 120 and122 are superimposed on the map to show the responder 104A whererelevant equipment is located near their route between their currentlocation and the victim 102. These icons can include visual indicia,such as color coding, to indicate the status of the medical equipment.

In some examples, the icons can include a selectable control that whenselected connects the responder to an individual (e.g., a device owneror administrator) associated with the medical equipment. By connectingthe responder with the individual associated with the medical equipment,the responder may be able to more quickly locate the equipment. Forexample, if an AED device is located behind the counter of a coffeeshop, the icon on the responder's map may point to the responder to thecoffee shop. However, without further information it may be difficultfor the responder to locate the AED within the coffee shop. Thus, thevoice communication can be beneficial in coordinating access to theemergency medical equipment.

In some additional examples, the emergency response equipment icons caninclude selectable controls that, when selected, provide additionalinformation about the medical equipment. For example, when the icon isselected additional information such as details about the location ofthe medical equipment, type and content of emergency response equipmentavailable, and/or contact information for an individual associated withemergency response equipment can be displayed (e.g., as shown in FIG.5).

The gathering of the information that is overlaid on the map may be by aserver system before sending such information to the various clientdevices, or the server system may send information to the clientdevices, which may in turn automatically contact third-party mapping andnavigation services (e.g., using their on-board applications and/orJavaScript provided to them by the server system) to generate thedisplays shown here.

In some examples, the potential responders may additionally include theowners or administrators of emergency response equipment such as AEDunits. In such examples, in addition to notifying responders, theoperator also notifies the owners or administrators of the emergencyresponse equipment. The owner or administrator can respond (e.g., in amanner similar to the responders) with whether he or she is available inwilling to bring the emergency response equipment to the vicinity of theemergency. If so, information about the emergency, including a map tothe location is sent to the owner or administrator.

Also, though the lay responder's device 110 is shown and described as asmart phone in this example, it may take a variety of other forms. Forexample, the device could be a cellular telephone having text messagingcapabilities, so that the user can receive direction via text message.The device could also be a portable networked device that does not havedirect telephony capabilities such as an iPod touch® media player orsimilar device. Other devices such as tablet PC's and other portablecommunication devices may also be used.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system 200 for coordinating responders toemergency events. In general, the system 200 shows various mainsub-systems that can be used in an example to implement functionalitylike that described for FIG. 1 and below. The sub-systems are generallydirected to receiving notification of an event that needs humanresponders, identifying responders in the area of the event, pollingcertain responders to see if they would like to be involved, andproviding the responders who reply affirmatively with information tohelp them respond to the event. The sub-systems may also help coordinatethe efforts of the responders or other individuals to coordinate thelocation and delivery of emergency response equipment such as AEDs tothe scene of the emergency.

A central component of the system 200 is a dispatch center 202 such as atraditional emergency 911 dispatch center where operators (human orautomated) receive calls about emergency events, take information onthose calls, and notify appropriate professional responders so that theycan respond to the calls. In this example, the dispatch center 202 isaugmented with additional sub-systems to provide for greaterfunctionality, including the dispatch of responders to emergency eventsand the coordination of delivery of emergency response equipment to theemergency event.

The dispatch center 202 can receive communications e.g., calls or datacommunications through telephone network 206 from basic telephones suchas cellular telephone222 and/or through network 204 from mobilecomputing devices 220. Calls may also come into the dispatch center 202via portable emergency response equipment worn by potential victims. Thedispatch center 202 may also communicate with a notification system 208,which is designed to provide notifications to responders (lay respondersand/or professional responders) about emergencies that may be occurringin their area and for which their intervention may be requested. Thenotification system 208, in performing these operations, may initiallyserve as an interface between a dispatcher at the dispatch center 202and various candidate and confirmed responders who are using devicessuch as mobile computing device 220.

The notification system 208 may also manage an enrollment process bywhich responders register themselves with the system 208 and are managedby the system 208. The notification system 208, in performing itsfunctions, may depend on and manage a number of sources of data. Forexample, location data 212 may be gathered from devices used by variousresponders who are enrolled with the system 208 to determine where theresponders are located. Thus, for example, the notification system 208may receive a query from the dispatch center 202 that identifies alocation of an emergency and then use that location to identify enrolledresponders who are currently in that same vicinity and whose devices arecurrently turned on and reporting their location. Such information maybe made available voluntarily by the responders when they register withthe system, so that they permit tracking of their current location fordefined purposes and under defined conditions.

Map data 216 may also be stored by, or otherwise accessed by,notification system 208. The map data 216 may take the form of visualmap tiles and data required to connect latitude/longitude coordinates orother such information to locations on the map. The map data 216 mayalso include data needed to generate navigational routes on maps, andalso to convert English language (or other human language) addresses tomore technical map identifiers such as latitude/longitude coordinates.While the map data 216 and other data are shown as being part of thenotification system 208 in this example, they may also be accessed fromother locations, such as from third-party services provided by companieslike Google®, Yahoo!®, MapQuest®, and Microsoft® using API's that arepublic and generally familiar.

The notification system 208, in performing its functions, mayadditionally depend on emergency response equipment data to 220 andemergency response equipment owner data 221. The emergency responseequipment data 220 can include information about the location of theemergency response equipment (e.g., the latitude and longitude, thephysical location within a building, the common name of the building,the address of the location), availability of the emergency responseequipment (e.g., if the equipment is only available during businesshours or with other restrictions), type of equipment available (e.g.,first aid supplies, portable defibrillators, or other medicalinstrumentation and supplies), and/or status information about theequipment. When a request for emergency services is received by thedispatch center, in addition to identifying available respondents, thedispatch center can additionally locate and identify emergency responseequipment that may be useful for responding to the emergency. Thelocation of the emergency response equipment can be overlaid on the mapgenerated by the notification system 208.

The notification system 208 may additionally rely on emergency responseequipment owner or administrator data 221. For example, similar toidentifying respondents in the area, emergency response equipment ownersor administrators can additionally be identified and contacted toprovide emergency response equipment to the scene of the emergency. Suchinformation may be made available voluntarily by the emergency responseequipment owner or administrator when they register with the system, sothat they permit such contact. Location of the equipment owners andadministrators does not need to be tracked. Rather, such individuals canbe people who are likely to be near the equipment. For example, if theequipment is located in an office building, the administrator or ownercan be an employee having an office near the equipment. Thus, aparticular piece of emergency response equipment can have multipleowners or administrators who are registered with the system as beinglikely to be near the equipment and willing to respond to an emergency.

An inter-responder communication system 210 may be provided as anadjunct to the notification system 208. The inter-respondercommunication system 210 may be provided to allow voice communicationsbetween responders and each other, between responders and a victim, andbetween other parties that may be involved in an emergency responseoperation such as the equipment owners and administrators.

As an example of the operation of system 200, a call may be initiallyreceived at the dispatch center 202 from telephone 222, such as througha 911 calling network. A dispatcher at the dispatch center 202 may speakto a caller on telephone 222 to find out that the caller is witnessinganother person having a heart attack in the 600 block of Main Street.The dispatcher may begin to type information about the call into acomputer terminal 203, including the text “600 block of Main Street”,and such text entry may cause a map to be displayed on a computerdisplay of the dispatcher, centered around the typed address.

The computer display may also show icons that represent all potentialresponders who are currently known to be in the area of the 600 block ofMain Street (i.e., whose devices are on and reporting their locations)and to show all emergency response equipment known to be in the area. Amapping module (e.g., a mapping module in terminal 203) can obtain suchinformation by accessing information from the notification system 208,and then plotting icons for potential responders and emergency responseequipment on the dispatcher's computer monitor. Each of the icons forthe potential responders may be supplemented with a small indicator thatshows the type of responder that each person in the area is, such as atrained physician or a relatively inexperienced giver of CPR.Additionally, each of the icons for the emergency response equipment maybe supplemented with an indicator of the equipment's current status andthe type of equipment available.

The dispatcher may then select some of the identified responders in thearea, such as by tapping their icons on a touchscreen computerinterface, and may then select a control (e.g., click or tap anon-screen button) to have a notification generated for each of theselected responders, making them candidate responders. Similarly, thedispatcher may then select some of the identified emergency responseequipment in the area, such as by tapping the icons for the emergencyresponse equipment on a touch screen computer interface and may thenselect a control to have a notification generated to each of the ownersor administrators of the medical equipment.

FIG. 3A is a flow chart of a process for organizing responders andindividuals able to provide emergency response equipment such as AEDs toan emergency call according to an example embodiment of the invention.In general, the process involves identifying a number of lay respondentswho have registered with a system and are in the vicinity of an incomingemergency event, identifying emergency response equipment in thevicinity of the incoming emergency event and identifying equipmentowners or administrators associated with such equipment.

The process begins at box 302, where a system receives information aboutan emergency call. In one instance, the call may be a 911 call and theinformation may be entered into a computer terminal by an operator whoanswered the call. In other instances, the call may be a datatransmission from a mobile computing device. In either situation, alocation for an emergency event may be determined, such as by theoperator typing in an address relayed by the caller, or by locationinformation received with a data transmission (e.g., GPS data from amobile computing device).

At box 304 a geographic determination component of a system (e.g.,mapping module 205 in FIG. 2) obtains location information like thatdiscussed above and converts it to a latitude/longitude coordinate orarea. For example, a dispatcher's terminal may provide for parsing oftext that the dispatcher types and any addresses that are identified inthe text may be passed to a separate system that may turn the addressinto a latitude/longitude coordinate. In response, another system may becaused to transmit data to the dispatcher's terminal so that a map ofthe area around the event is displayed to the dispatcher.

At box 306, active responders in a vicinity of the emergency locationare identified. For example, the same system that transmitted the mapdata to the dispatcher's terminal may also access a tracking sub-systemthat is aware of or can poll the locations of mobile computing devicesfor all people who are registered as potential responders with theprocess, who are in the vicinity of the emergency, and who have theirdevices turn on, reporting their current location. The possibleresponders may be determined using one or more of the methods describedin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/946,803, filed on Nov. 15, 2010and entitled “Community-Based Response System”, the contents of whichare hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

At box 308, the process sends information and map data for transmissionto responders. In an embodiment, the process sends information and mapdata for transmission to other parties, for example, equipment owners oradministrators associated with such equipment and/or caller. Theinformation may include some basic information about the emergency andalso information needed to generate an annotated map like that shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B. At box 310, the process coordinates communicationsamong the responders.

At box 312, the process identifies emergency response equipment in thevicinity of the emergency location. For example, the same system thattransmitted the map data to the dispatcher's terminal may also accessstored information about emergency response equipment such as AEDs todetermine which emergency response equipment is the vicinity of theemergency location. The operator can select one or more particularpieces of the emergency response equipment based on the type ofemergency response equipment available, the distance from the emergencylocation, the type of emergency and/or the status of the medicalequipment. Once the particular pieces of emergency response equipmenthave been identified, at box 314, the process identifies individualsassociated with the identified medical equipment. For example,information about one or more individuals that are likely to be in thearea of the emergency response equipment and have registered with thesystem as being willing to respond to an emergency event by providingthe emergency response equipment to the scene of the emergency can beaccessed. Once the relevant individuals have been identified, at box316, the process sends a request to the identified individuals toprovide the emergency response equipment to the emergency location. Theinformation provided to the identified individuals may include somebasic information about the emergency and also information needed togenerate an annotated map like that shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 3B is a flow chart of a process for organizing responders to anemergency call according to an example embodiment of the invention. Ingeneral, the process involves identifying a number of lay respondentswho have registered with a system and are in the vicinity of an incomingemergency event and providing them with information about emergencymedical equipment in the vicinity.

As described above in relation to FIG. 3A, system such as the dispatchcenter 202 in FIG. 2 receives information about an emergency call (box332), obtains location information like that discussed and converts itto a latitude/longitude coordinate or area (box 334), and identifiesactive responders in the vicinity of the emergency location (box 336).

At box 338, the system identifies emergency response equipment in thevicinity of the emergency location. For example, the system thattransmitted the map data to the dispatcher's terminal may also accessstored information about emergency response equipment such as AEDs todetermine which emergency response equipment is the vicinity of theemergency location. The operator can select one or more particularpieces of the emergency response equipment based on the type ofemergency response equipment available, the distance from the emergencylocation, the type of emergency and/or the status of the medicalequipment.

In some additional embodiments, the system can automatically select oneor more pieces of emergency response equipment based on a distance fromthe vicinity of the emergency location.

In some additional examples, the system can automatically select apredetermined number of pieces of emergency response equipment based onthe type of emergency to locate the nearest equipment to the emergencylocation regardless of the absolute distance. At box 340, the processchecks status information for the identified medical equipment byaccessing stored information about the equipment. This statusinformation can include items such as the last date of servicing, thelast known status of the equipment, the battery life of the equipment,and/or the like. At box 340, based on the status information for themedical equipment, the process removes nonfunctional emergency responseequipment from the list of potential emergency response equipment foruse in responding to the emergency. Only the functional emergencyresponse equipment (e.g., based on the stored information) is identifiedas being available to responders. Thus, responders will not wastevaluable time to obtain nonfunctional equipment. At box 344, the processsends information, map data and/or emergency response equipment locationinformation for transmission to responders. In an embodiment, emergencyresponse equipment location information is transmitted to a dispatchcenter such as dispatch center 202 of FIG. 2. The emergency responseequipment location information may be present in a memory of theequipment, determined using GPS, or provided using another method knownin the art. In an embodiment, the process sends information and map datafor transmission to other parties, for example, equipment owners oradministrators associated with such equipment and/or a caller. Theinformation may include some basic information about the emergency andalso information needed to generate an annotated map like that shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B including the identification of the locations formedical equipment.

FIG. 4 shows an example screen shot for a dispatcher. In general, thisscreen shot provides an example of the type of data a dispatcher may seeas the dispatcher selects responders and emergency medical equipment torespond to an emergency event that has been called in by telephone.

The screen in this example is split mainly into a map area and a dataarea. The map area is centered around a victim represented by icon 504,and may have been retrieved automatically when the dispatcher typed alocation into their computer terminal. A circle 506 may be shown aroundthe icon for the victim, showing a zone of uncertainty for the victim'slocation. A broader circle 502 indicates a candidate zone around thevictim. This circle may circumscribe the area within which the systemwill look for potential responders and/or for emergency responseequipment such as AEDs. The size of the initial circle may be selectedautomatically, such as to be a predetermined radius, or based onestimated time for responders to arrive at the victim. If the dispatcherdoes not see enough responders and/or emergency response equipment inthe circle, the dispatcher may provide an input to change the size ofthe circle, such as by dragging the circle in or out on a touch screendisplay. In some examples, this size of the initial circle or the sizeof a revised circle can be different for the area used to identifyresponders as compared to the area used to locate emergency responseequipment such as AEDs. For example, if the responders are tasked withbringing the emergency response equipment to the scene of the emergency,then the size of the area used to locate emergency response equipmentmay be smaller than the size of the area used to locate responders. Inanother example, if emergency response equipment owners oradministrators are tasked with bringing the emergency response equipmentthe scene of the emergency, then the size of the area used to locateemergency response equipment may be larger than the size of the areaused to locate responders because the responders can begin medicaltreatment such as CPR during the time used for the equipment owners oradministrators to provide the medical equipment.

In the particular example, the initial circle can include an icon forresponders and an icon for emergency medical equipment. An operator canclick and drag the associated icon to revise the associated input area.For example, by clicking and dragging on an icon for responder, theoperator can modify the area used to locate and identify responders, butwill not modify the area used for locating emergency medical equipment.

In the data portion of the screen 500, and at the top, there is shown anemergency information area 508, where various data about an event may bedisplayed, such as the location of the victim (in plain English andlat/long), and a description of the event that the dispatcher may haveentered upon receiving a call. Such a description may then be sentautomatically to any responder that becomes confirmed in the system, oreven to potential responders in an invitation. The area 508 alsoincludes a selectable button that, when the dispatcher presses it andholds it down, causes the dispatchers speech to be broadcast to allresponders (e.g., all confirmed lay responders and all professionalresponders), such as when the dispatcher wants to broadcast instructionsto the team. Other similar controls may also be provided as needed.

A messages area 516 at the bottom of the data area provides a locationin which a dispatcher can enter textual messages to be sent to theresponders. Other data input and output may also be provided in one ormore pop up boxes that may appear depending on the context of the systemthat the dispatcher is controlling.

The three remaining areas of the data area indicate the status ofvarious responders in an area, coordinated with icons on the map areathat show those responders. For example, in this display, candidateresponder's area 514 shows responders in the relevant area who have notyet been acted on by the dispatcher. Here, there is one such respondernamed Chris Hoff, who is designated with a B2 subscript, indicating thathe is the B responder on the map and he is a level 2 skill level, whichmay be a lay responder who is formally CPR certified. A “T” icon isshown next to his name, and the dispatcher may select that icon in orderto talk by voice directly with him; the dispatcher could also push theicon and then type a message, and that message would be sent directly toMr. Hoff.

The selected responder's area shows responders who have received aninvitation to respond. A dispatcher may move someone from area 514 toarea 512 by selecting their entry and then dragging it upward from onearea to the next. Here, the dispatcher has selected a level 1 responder,which may be someone who has shown proficiency for CPR with a downloadedapplication but is not CPR certified. That user, Tony Oilo, has not yetresponded. Although not shown, the entry could also be accompanied by adigital clock that shows the elapsed time since the responder has beeninvited so that, after a time, the dispatcher can cancel the invitationand invite a different candidate.

The confirmed responder's area 510 shows two responders who were invitedand responded affirmatively, and thus are presumptively en route to thevictim. These responders are again, a level 1 responder and a level 4responder, who may be a general physician (where level 6 responderscould be emergency room or critical care physicians). Dr. Langhans inthis example is relatively close to the park where the victim islocated, and thus may be expected to arrive there soon.

The emergency response equipment location section 511 includesinformation about the location, status, and availability of emergencyresponse equipment such as AEDs in the vicinity of the emergency. Thestatus information is shown in column 513, can be color-coded based onthe status of the emergency response equipment as described herein.Other indicators such as textual indicators or symbolic indicators couldbe used to indicate the status of the emergency response equipment. Asshown in column 515, the distance from the emergency location to theemergency response equipment can additionally be displayed. As shown incolumn 517, the user interface includes a selection mechanism thatenables the operator to notify individuals associated with the emergencyresponse equipment by selecting the notification button. For example, ifthe operator wanted to notify the owners of all emergency responseequipment within one 10th of a mile from the emergency location, theoperator could do so by clicking on the selectable input icons in column517.

FIG. 5 shows an example screenshot for a dispatcher or responder. Ingeneral, this screenshot provides an example of the type of data adispatcher or responder may see in relation to emergency medicalequipment in the vicinity of an emergency. The information presented tothe dispatcher or responder includes a map area that is centered aroundthe victim and may have been automatically retrieved when the dispatchertyped a location into their computer terminal. Emergency responseequipment in the vicinity of the emergency is identified by icons on themap. In addition to identifying the equipment locations, statusinformation about the equipment is provided, for example, as shown inthe color-coded status indicators on the left of the user interface. Thestatus can additionally/alternatively be indicated with a textualindicator or symbolic indicator. In FIG. 5, both a color-coding and atextual indicator are shown. Additionally, when an individual selects aparticular piece of medical equipment, additional information can bedisplayed to the user. For example, by clicking on one of the icons inthe map, the user can view additional information such as more detailedlocation information, availability, and contact information.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a generic computer device 600 and a genericmobile computer device 650, which may be used with the techniquesdescribed here. Computing device 600 is intended to represent variousforms of digital computers, such as laptops, desktops, workstations,personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframes, andother appropriate computers. Computing device 650 is intended torepresent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digitalassistants, cellular telephones, smartphones, and other similarcomputing devices. The components shown here, their connections andrelationships, and their functions, are meant to be exemplary only, andare not meant to limit implementations of the inventions describedand/or claimed in this document.

Computing device 600 includes a processor 602, memory 604, a storagedevice 606, a high-speed interface 608 connecting to memory 604 andhigh-speed expansion ports 610, and a low speed interface 612 connectingto low speed bus 614 and storage device 606. Each of the components 602,604, 606, 608, 610, and 612, are interconnected using various busses,and may be mounted on a common motherboard or in other manners asappropriate. The processor 602 can process instructions for executionwithin the computing device 600, including instructions stored in thememory 604 or on the storage device 606 to display graphical informationfor a GUI on an external input/output device, such as display 616coupled to high speed interface 608. In other implementations, multipleprocessors and/or multiple buses may be used, as appropriate, along withmultiple memories and types of memory. Also, multiple computing devices600 may be connected, with each device providing portions of thenecessary operations (e.g., as a server bank, a group of blade servers,or a multi-processor system).

The memory 604 stores information within the computing device 600. Inone implementation, the memory 604 is a volatile memory unit or units.In another implementation, the memory 604 is a non-volatile memory unitor units. The memory 604 may also be another form of computer-readablemedium, such as a magnetic or optical disk.

The storage device 606 is capable of providing mass storage for the

computing device 600. In one implementation, the storage device 606 maybe or contain a computer-readable medium, such as a floppy disk device,a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or a tape device, a flashmemory or other similar solid state memory device, or an array ofdevices, including devices in a storage area network or otherconfigurations. A computer program product can be tangibly embodied inan information carrier. The computer program product may also containinstructions that, when executed, perform one or more methods, such asthose described above. The information carrier is a computer- ormachine-readable medium, such as the memory 604, the storage device 606,memory on processor 602, or a propagated signal.

The high speed controller 608 manages bandwidth-intensive operations forthe computing device 600, while the low speed controller 612 manageslower bandwidth-intensive operations. Such allocation of functions isexemplary only. In one implementation, the high-speed controller 608 iscoupled to memory 604, display 616 (e.g., through a graphics processoror accelerator), and to high-speed expansion ports 610, which may acceptvarious expansion cards (not shown). In the implementation, low-speedcontroller 612 is coupled to storage device 606 and low-speed expansionport 614. The low-speed expansion port, which may include variouscommunication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless Ethernet)may be coupled to one or more input/output devices, such as a keyboard,a pointing device, a scanner, or a networking device such as a switch orrouter, e.g., through a network adapter.

The computing device 600 may be implemented in a number of differentforms, as shown in the figure. For example, it may be implemented as astandard server 620, or multiple times in a group of such servers. Itmay also be implemented as part of a rack server system 624. Inaddition, it may be implemented in a personal computer such as a laptopcomputer 622. Alternatively, components from computing device 600 may becombined with other components in a mobile device (not shown), such asdevice 650. Each of such devices may contain one or more of computingdevice 600, 650, and an entire system may be made up of multiplecomputing devices 600, 650 communicating with each other.

Computing device 650 includes a processor 652, memory 664, and aninput/output device such as a display 654, a communication interface666, and a transceiver 668, among other components. The device 650 mayalso be provided with a storage device, such as a microdrive or otherdevice, to provide additional storage. Each of the components 650, 652,664, 654, 666, and 668, are interconnected using various buses, andseveral of the components may be mounted on a common motherboard or inother manners as appropriate.

The processor 652 can execute instructions within the computing device650, including instructions stored in the memory 664. The processor maybe implemented as a chipset of chips that include separate and multipleanalog and digital processors. The processor may provide, for example,for coordination of the other components of the device 650, such ascontrol of user interfaces, applications run by device 650, and wirelesscommunication by device 650.

Processor 652 may communicate with a user through control interface 658and display interface 656 coupled to a display 654. The display 654 maybe, for example, a TFT LCD (Thin-Film-Transistor Liquid Crystal Display)or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, or other appropriatedisplay technology. The display interface 656 may comprise appropriatecircuitry for driving the display 654 to present graphical and otherinformation to a user. The control interface 658 may receive commandsfrom a user and convert them for submission to the processor 652. Inaddition, an external interface 662 may be provided in communicationwith processor 652, so as to enable near area communication of device650 with other devices. External interface 662 may provide, for example,for wired communication in some implementations, or for wirelesscommunication in other implementations, and multiple interfaces may alsobe used.

The memory 664 stores information within the computing device 650. Thememory 664 can be implemented as one or more of a computer-readablemedium or media, a volatile memory unit or units, or a non-volatilememory unit or units. Expansion memory 674 may also be provided andconnected to device 650 through expansion interface 672, which mayinclude, for example, a SIMM (Single In Line Memory Module) cardinterface. Such expansion memory 674 may provide extra storage space fordevice 650, or may also store applications or other information fordevice 650. Specifically, expansion memory 674 may include instructionsto carry out or supplement the processes described above, and mayinclude secure information also. Thus, for example, expansion memory 674may be provided as a security module for device 650, and may beprogrammed with instructions that permit secure use of device 650. Inaddition, secure applications may be provided via the SIMM cards, alongwith additional information, such as placing identifying information onthe SIMM card in a non-hackable manner.

The memory may include, for example, flash memory and/or NVRAM memory,as discussed below. In one implementation, a computer program product istangibly embodied in an information carrier. The computer programproduct contains instructions that, when executed, perform one or moremethods, such as those described above. The information carrier is acomputer- or machine-readable medium, such as the memory 664, expansionmemory 674, memory on processor 652, or a propagated signal that may bereceived, for example, over transceiver 668 or external interface 662.

Device 650 may communicate wirelessly through communication interface666, which may include digital signal processing circuitry wherenecessary. Communication interface 666 may provide for communicationsunder various modes or protocols, such as GSM voice calls, SMS, EMS, orMMS messaging, CDMA, TDMA, PDC, WCDMA, CDMA2000, or GPRS, among others.Such communication may occur, for example, through radio-frequencytransceiver 668. In addition, short-range communication may occur, suchas using a Bluetooth®, WiFi, or other such transceiver (not shown). Inaddition, GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver module 670 mayprovide additional navigation- and location-related wireless data todevice 650, which may be used as appropriate by applications running ondevice 650.

Device 650 may also communicate audibly using audio codec660, which mayreceive spoken information from a user and convert it to usable digitalinformation. Audio codec 660 may likewise generate audible sound for auser, such as through a speaker, e.g., in a handset of device 650. Suchsound may include sound from voice telephone calls, may include recordedsound (e.g., voice messages, music files, etc.) and may also includesound generated by applications operating on device 650.

The computing device 650 may be implemented in a number of differentforms, as shown in the figure. For example, it may be implemented as acellular telephone 680. It may also be implemented as part of asmartphone 682, personal digital assistant, or other similar mobiledevice.

Various implementations of the systems and techniques described here canbe realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry,specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits),computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof.These various implementations can include implementation in one or morecomputer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on aprogrammable system including at least one programmable processor, whichmay be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data andinstructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storagesystem, at least one input device, and at least one output device.

These computer programs (also known as programs, software, softwareapplications or code) include machine instructions for a programmableprocessor, and can be implemented in a high-level procedural and/orobject-oriented programming language, and/or in assembly/machinelanguage. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium”“computer-readable medium” refers to any computer program product,apparatus and/or device (e.g., magnetic discs, optical disks, memory,Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructionsand/or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readablemedium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal.The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to providemachine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.

To provide for interaction with a user, the systems and techniquesdescribed here can be implemented on a computer having a display device(e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor)for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointingdevice (e.g., a mouse or a trackball) by which the user can provideinput to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide forinteraction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to theuser can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback,auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can bereceived in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

The systems and techniques described here can be implemented in acomputing system that includes a back end component (e.g., as a dataserver), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an applicationserver), or that includes a front end component (e.g., a client computerhaving a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a usercan interact with an implementation of the systems and techniquesdescribed here), or any combination of such back end, middleware, orfront end components. The components of the system can be interconnectedby any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., acommunication network). Examples of communication networks include alocal area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), and theInternet.

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

A number of embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will beunderstood that various modifications may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention. For example, much of thisdocument has been described with respect to smartphones and similarclient devices, but other forms of devices may be employed, includingjackets for portable devices where the jackets have been provided withsome or all of the functionality just described. In some examples, thedispatch center could be implemented on a mobile computer such as aniPhone®. In addition, the logic flows depicted in the figures do notrequire the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achievedesirable results. In addition, other steps may be provided, or stepsmay be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may beadded to, or removed from, the described systems. Accordingly, otherembodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

1. (canceled)
 2. A medical equipment management system comprising: adefibrillator information database comprising defibrillator locationinformation comprising global positioning system (GPS) information; anda notification system communicatively coupled to a separate emergencydispatch center, the notification system comprising processor executableinstructions configured to cause one or more processors to: receiveemergency event location information, for an emergency event, from theseparate emergency dispatch center, provide, to the separate emergencydispatch center, mapping information comprising the emergency eventlocation information and the defibrillator location information for aset of one or more defibrillators in a vicinity of the emergency event,and provide, to a mobile device software application, the mappinginformation comprising the emergency event location information and thedefibrillator location information.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein thedefibrillator location information comprises location descriptioninformation comprising one or more of a physical location within abuilding, a name of the building, and an address of the building.
 4. Thesystem of claim 2 wherein the processor executable instructions areconfigured to cause the one or more processors to select a quantity ofdefibrillators to include in the set of one or more defibrillators inthe vicinity of the emergency event.
 5. The system of claim 2 whereinthe processor executable instructions are configured to cause the one ormore processors to identify the set of one or more defibrillators in thevicinity of the emergency event based on the emergency event locationinformation and the defibrillator location information.
 6. The system ofclaim 5 wherein the processor executable instructions are configured tocause the one or more processors to identify the set of one or moredefibrillators in the vicinity of the emergency event based on a desireddistance between an emergency event location and a defibrillatorlocation as indicated by the defibrillator location information.
 7. Thesystem of claim 6 wherein the desired distance between the emergencyevent location and the defibrillator location is a predetermineddistance.
 8. The system of claim 6 wherein the desired distance betweenthe emergency event location and the defibrillator location is a basedon a travel time of a responder.
 9. The system of claim 6 wherein thedesired distance between the emergency event location and thedefibrillator location is adjustable based on a quantity ofdefibrillators in an area with a radius corresponding to the desireddistance.
 10. The system of claim 5 wherein the mapping informationincludes the identified set of one or more defibrillators in thevicinity of the emergency event.
 11. The system of claim 2 wherein thedefibrillator information database comprises one or more ofdefibrillator status information and defibrillator availabilityinformation.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the mapping informationincludes at least one of the one or more of defibrillator statusinformation and defibrillator availability information.
 13. The systemof claim 2 wherein the processor executable instructions are configuredto cause the one or more processors to receive status information from aplurality of defibrillators.
 14. The system of claim 13 wherein thestatus information comprises one or more of a date of servicing, aprevious equipment status, and a battery life.
 15. The system of claim13 wherein the processor executable instructions are configured to causethe one or more processors to monitor a status of the plurality ofdefibrillators based on the received status information.
 16. The systemof claim 2 wherein the defibrillator information database comprisescontact information for one or more of defibrillator owners anddefibrillator administrators.
 17. The system of claim 2 wherein themapping information comprises navigation information.
 18. The system ofclaim 2 wherein the processor executable instructions are configured tocause the one or more processors to store the mapping information in thedefibrillator information database.
 19. The system of claim 2 whereinthe mapping information comprises visual map tiles and data configuredto connect latitude and longitude coordinates to locations on the visualmap tiles.
 20. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor executableinstructions are configured to cause the one or more processors toreceive medical information for a victim from the separate emergencydispatch center and to provide the medical information for the victim tothe mobile device software application.
 21. The system of claim 2wherein the processor executable instructions are configured to causethe one or more processors to access a responder tracking system,wherein the responder tracking system is configured to determinelocations for mobile computing devices associated with responders. 22.The system of claim 2 wherein the processor executable instructions areconfigured to cause the one or more processors to provide textual datato the mobile device software application.